Coated paper and paperboard structures

ABSTRACT

A coated paper or paperboard structure includes a paper or paperboard substrate and a basecoat applied to the paper or paperboard substrate to yield a basecoat outer surface. The basecoat includes a water-soluble polymer binder and pigment.

PRIORITY

The present patent application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.17/101,099 filed on Nov. 23, 2020, which claims priority from U.S. Ser.No. 62/949,012 filed on Dec. 17, 2019. The entire contents of U.S. Ser.Nos. 17/101,099 and 62/949,012 are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present application relates to the field of coated paper and coatedpaperboard structures.

BACKGROUND

Paper and paperboard substrates can be coated with one or more layersincluding latex binder and pigment. Compostability of such coated paperand paperboard substrates is limited by the presence of the latexbinder. There is a need for paper and paperboard substrates that aremore compostable and bio-based.

Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research anddevelopment in the field of coated paper and coated paperboardstructures.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a coated paper or paperboard structure includes apaper or paperboard substrate and a basecoat applied to the paper orpaperboard substrate to yield a basecoat outer surface. The basecoatincludes a water-soluble polymer binder and pigment.

In another embodiment, a coated paper or paperboard structure includes apaper or paperboard substrate, a basecoat applied to the paper orpaperboard substrate to yield a basecoat outer surface, and a topcoatapplied over the basecoat to yield a topcoat outer surface. At least oneof the basecoat and the topcoat includes a water-soluble polymer binderand a pigment.

In yet another embodiment, a coated paper or paperboard structureincludes a paper or paperboard substrate and a coating applied to thepaper or paperboard substrate to yield a coating outer surface. Thecoating includes a water-soluble polymer binder and a pigment.

Other embodiments of the disclosed coated paper and coated paperboardstructures will become apparent from the following detailed description,the accompanying drawings and the appended Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure of the present description including a paper or paperboardsubstrate and a basecoat applied to the paper or paperboard substrate toyield a basecoat outer surface.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure of the present description including a paper or paperboardsubstrate, a basecoat applied to the paper or paperboard substrate toyield a basecoat outer surface, and a topcoat applied over the basecoatto yield a topcoat outer surface.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure of the present description including a paper or paperboardsubstrate and a coating applied to the paper or paperboard substrate toyield a coating outer surface.

FIG. 4 is a plot of roughness of basecoated-only samples over a range ofbasecoat weights.

FIG. 5 is another plot of roughness of basecoated-only samples over arange of basecoat weights.

FIG. 6 is another plot of roughness of basecoated-only samples over arange of basecoat weights.

FIG. 7 is a plot of roughness after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated samples over a range of basecoat weights.

FIG. 8 is another plot of roughness after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated samples over a range of basecoat weights.

FIG. 9 is another plot of roughness after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated samples over a range of basecoat weights.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure 100 according to a first embodiment of the presentdescription. As shown in FIG. 1 , the coated paper or paperboardstructure 100 includes a paper or paperboard substrate 110 and abasecoat 120 applied to a surface 112 the paper or paperboard substrate110 to yield a basecoat outer surface 122. According to the presentdescription, the basecoat 120 includes a water-soluble polymer binderand a pigment.

The basecoat 120 is a coating intended to have at least one or morecoatings applied over it in a final coated paper or paperboard product.The basecoat 120 is different from a topcoat and different from acoating of a single-coated product because the basecoat 120 is appliedas an intermediate stage in the paperboard coating process. A basecoat120 is not processed the same as a topcoat or a single-coated product.The basecoat 120 has one or more coatings applied over it in a finalcoated paper or paperboard product, whereas the topcoat or thesingle-coated product are subjected to post processing (e.g.,calendering, printing, and converting).

The basecoat 120 may be applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 110in any amount suitable for the intended use of the coated paper orpaperboard structure 100. In an example, the basecoat 120 may be appliedto the paper or paperboard substrate 110 at a coat weight, per side, ina range of 4 to 12 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 110. In another example, the basecoat 120 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 110 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 5 to 11 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 110. In yet another example, the basecoat 120 maybe applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 110 at a coat weight,per side, in a range of 6 to 10 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paperor paperboard substrate 110.

In an aspect, the as-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 110, i.e.the paper or paperboard substrate 110 upon being coated with thebasecoat 120, may have a PPS10S roughness (Parker Print Surf roughnessmeasured using 10 psi pressure with a soft backing) of 7 µ or less. Inanother aspect, the as-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 110 mayhave a PPS10S roughness of 6.5 µ or less. In yet another aspect, theas-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 110 may have a PPS10Sroughness of 6 µ or less. In yet another aspect, the as-basecoated paperor paperboard substrate 110 may have a PPS10S roughness of 5.5 µ orless. Thus, the as-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 110 of thepresent description can enable modern sheet smoothness withoutnecessitating any latex binder.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure 200 according to a second embodiment of the presentdescription. As shown in FIG. 2 , the coated paper or paperboardstructure 200 includes a paper or paperboard substrate 210, a basecoat220 applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210 to yield a basecoatouter surface 222, and a topcoat 230 applied over the basecoat 220 toyield a topcoat outer surface 232.

In one aspect, as shown, the topcoat 230 may be applied directed on thebasecoat outer surface 222 without any intermediate layers. In anotheraspect, one or more intermediate layers may be included between thebasecoat 220 and the topcoat 230. In an example, a second basecoat maybe included between the basecoat 220 and the topcoat 230. In anotherexample, a barrier layer may be included between the basecoat 220 andthe topcoat 230.

According to the present description, at least one of the basecoat 220and the topcoat 230 includes a water-soluble polymer binder and apigment. In one aspect, the basecoat 220 includes a water-solublepolymer binder and a pigment. In another aspect, the topcoat 230includes a water-soluble polymer binder and a pigment. In yet anotheraspect, the basecoat 220 and the topcoat 230 include a water-solublepolymer binder and a pigment. The basecoat 220 and the topcoat 230 mayhave the same composition or may have different compositions.

The basecoat 220 may be applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210in any amount suitable for the intended use of the coated paper orpaperboard structure 200. In an example, the basecoat 220 may be appliedto the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight, per side, ina range of 4 to 12 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 210. In another example, the basecoat 220 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 5 to 11 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 210. In yet another example, the basecoat 220 maybe applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight,per side, in a range of 6 to 10 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paperor paperboard substrate 210.

In an aspect, the as-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 mayhave a PPS10S roughness of 7 µ or less. In another aspect, theas-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may have a PPS10Sroughness of 6.5 µ or less. In yet another aspect, the as-basecoatedpaper or paperboard substrate 210 may have a PPS10S roughness of 6 µ orless. In yet another aspect, the as-basecoated paper or paperboardsubstrate 210 may have a PPS10S roughness of 5.5 µ or less. Thus, theas-basecoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 of the presentdescription can enable modern sheet smoothness without necessitating anylatex binder.

The topcoat 230 may be applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210in any amount suitable for the intended use of the coated paper orpaperboard structure 200. In an example, the topcoat 230 may be appliedto the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight, per side, ina range of 3 to 12 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 210. In another example, the topcoat 230 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 4 to 11 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 210. In yet another example, the topcoat 230 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 210 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 5 to 10 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 210.

In an aspect, the topcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may have aPPS10S roughness of 2.6 µ or less after calendering. In another aspect,the topcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may have a PPS10Sroughness of 2.3 µ or less after calendering. In yet another aspect, thetopcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may have a PPS10S roughnessof 2.1 µ or less after calendering. In yet another aspect, the topcoatedpaper or paperboard substrate 210 may have a PPS10S roughness of 1.9 µor less after calendering. Thus, the topcoated paper or paperboardsubstrate 210 of the present description can enable modern sheetsmoothness without necessitating any latex binder.

In an aspect, the topcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may havean ink holdout after two minutes of less than 30% decrease inbrightness. In another aspect, the topcoated paper or paperboardsubstrate 210 may have an ink holdout after two minutes of less than 25%decrease in brightness. In yet another aspect, the topcoated paper orpaperboard substrate 210 may have an ink holdout after two minutes ofless than 20% decrease in brightness. In yet another aspect, thetopcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 may have an ink holdoutafter two minutes of less than 15% decrease in brightness. Thus, thetopcoated paper or paperboard substrate 210 of the present descriptioncan enable good smoothness and acceptable printing performance withoutnecessitating any latex binder.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a coated paper or paperboardstructure 300 according to a third embodiment of the presentdescription. As shown in FIG. 3 , the coated paper or paperboardstructure 300 includes a paper or paperboard substrate 310 and a coating340 applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 310 to yield a coatingouter surface 342. According to the present description, the coating 340includes a water-soluble polymer binder and a pigment.

The coating 340 is intended to yield a coating outer surface 342 of thecoated paper or paperboard structure 300. The coating 340 is differentfrom a basecoat. A basecoat is not processed the same as a single-coatedproduct. A basecoat has one or more coatings applied over it in a finalcoated paper or paperboard product, whereas the single-coated productare subjected to post processing (e.g., calendering, printing, andconverting).

The coating 340 may be applied to the paper or paperboard substrate 310in any amount suitable for the intended use of the coated paper orpaperboard structure 300. In an example, the coating 340 may be appliedto the paper or paperboard substrate 310 at a coat weight, per side, ina range of 3 to 12 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 310. In another example, the coating 340 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 310 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 4 to 11 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 310. In yet another example, the coating 340 may beapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate 310 at a coat weight, perside, in a range of 5 to 10 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate 310.

In an aspect, the coated paper or paperboard substrate 310 may have aPPS10S roughness of 3.5 µ or less after calendering. In another aspect,the coated paper or paperboard substrate 310 may have a PPS10S roughnessof 3.0 µ or less after calendering. In yet another aspect, the coatedpaper or paperboard substrate 310 may have a PPS10S roughness of 2.6 µor less after calendering. In yet another aspect, the coated paper orpaperboard substrate 310 may have a PPS10S roughness of 2.3 µ or lessafter calendering. In yet another aspect, the coated paper or paperboardsubstrate 310 may have a PPS10S roughness of 2.1 µ or less aftercalendering. In yet another aspect, the coated paper or paperboardsubstrate 310 may have a PPS10S roughness of 1.9 µ or less aftercalendering. Thus, the coated paper or paperboard substrate 310 of thepresent description can enable modern sheet smoothness withoutnecessitating any latex binder.

In an aspect, the coated paper or paperboard substrate 310 may have anink holdout after two minutes of less than 30% decrease in brightness.In another aspect, the coated paper or paperboard substrate 310 may havean ink holdout after two minutes of less than 25% decrease inbrightness. In yet another aspect, the coated paper or paperboardsubstrate 310 may have an ink holdout after two minutes of less than 20%decrease in brightness. In yet another aspect, the coated paper orpaperboard substrate 310 may have an ink holdout after two minutes ofless than 15% decrease in brightness. Thus, the coated paper orpaperboard substrate 310 of the present description can enable goodsmoothness and acceptable printing performance without necessitating anylatex binder.

The coated paper or paperboard structures 100, 200, and 300 may includeone or more of the following additional features.

The paper or paperboard substrates of the coated paper or paperboardstructures 100, 200, and 300 may be selected from any paper orpaperboard substrate suitable for applying a coating thereon.

The paper or paperboard substrate may be bleached or unbleached.

The paper or paperboard substrate may include any grade of paper orpaperboard suitable for applying a coating thereon. The paper orpaperboard substrate may include, for example, corrugating medium,linerboard, solid bleached sulfate (SBS), folding boxboard (FBB), coatedunbleached kraft (CUK), and recycled paper or paperboard.

The paper or paperboard substrate may include any uncoated basis weightsuitable for applying a coating thereon. The paper or paperboardsubstrate may have, for example, an uncoated basis weight of 20 poundsper 3000 ft² or more. For example, the paper or paperboard substrate mayhave an uncoated basis weight in the range of 20 pounds per 3000 ft² toabout 400 pounds per 3000 ft². In a specific example, the paper orpaperboard substrate may have an uncoated basis weight in the range of20 pounds per 3000 ft² to about 60 pounds per 3000 ft². In anotherspecific example, the paper or paperboard substrate may have an uncoatedbasis weight in the range of 60 pounds per 3000 ft² to about 120 poundsper 3000 ft². In another specific example, the paper or paperboardsubstrate may have an uncoated basis weight in the range of 100 poundsper 3000 ft² to about 250 pounds per 3000 ft². In another specificexample, the paper or paperboard substrate may have an uncoated basisweight in the range of 120 pounds per 3000 ft² to about 140 pounds per3000 ft².

The paper or paperboard substrate may include any thickness suitable forapplying a coating thereon. The paper or paperboard substrate may have,for example, an average caliper thickness of 0.002 inch or greater (2point or greater). In a specific example, the paper or paperboardsubstrate may have an average caliper thickness in the range of 0.002inch to 0.035 inch (2 point to 35 point). In another specific example,the paper or paperboard substrate may have an average caliper thicknessin the range of 0.008 inch to 0.026 inch (8 point to 26 point).

In an aspect, the basecoat 120, the basecoat 220, the topcoat 230, andthe coating 340 may optionally include one or more additional solublebinders with the water-soluble polymer binder. In another aspect, thebasecoat 120, the basecoat 220, the topcoat 230, and the coating 340 mayinclude no binders other than the water-soluble polymer binder. In aparticular aspect, the basecoat 120, basecoat 220, topcoat 230, orcoating 340 may be latex-free.

The water-soluble polymer binder may consist of a single water-solublepolymer binder composition or may include a blend of water-solublepolymer binder compositions.

In an aspect, the water-soluble polymer binder include one or morenatural water-soluble polymer binders, which are derived from a naturalsource. In another aspect, the water-soluble polymer binder consist ofthe one or more natural water-soluble polymer binders.

An advantage of the coated paper or paperboard structure with no latexbinder using allnatural binders may be highly compostable.

In an example, the water-soluble polymer binder may include a protein.The protein may be animal-based protein or a plant-based protein. Theanimal-based protein may be in the form of, for example, keratin andcollagen. The animal-based protein may be in the form of, for example,gelatin. The plant-based protein may be derived from, for example, soy.

In an example, the water-soluble polymer binder may include acarbohydrate. The carbohydrate may be in the form of cellulosederivative. The carbohydrate may be in the form of starch. The starchmay be derived from, for example, corn or potatoes.

In an example, the water-soluble polymer binder may include a naturalgum. The natural gum may include, for example, a natural botanical gum.The natural botanical gum may include, for example, a natural botanicalgum derived from the woody element of plants. In another example, thenatural botanical gum may include a natural botanical gum derived fromseed coatings. In a specific example, the water-soluble polymer bindermay include a natural botanical gum in the form of one or more ofalginate, cellulose derivatives, carrageenan, guar gum and xanthan. Inanother specific example, the water-soluble polymer binder may include anatural botanical gum in the form of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

The pigment of the basecoat 120, the basecoat 220, the topcoat 230,and/or or the coating 340 may include one or more of the followingfeatures.

The pigment may have a single composition or may be a blend of pigment.

In an aspect, the pigment may include an inorganic pigment.

In an aspect, the pigment may include calcium carbonate. The calciumcarbonate may include, for example, ground calcium carbonate. The groundcalcium carbonate may be, for example, fine ground calcium carbonate,wherein more than 75 percent of the calcium carbonate particles are lessthan 2 microns in diameter. The ground calcium carbonate may be, forexample, course ground calcium carbonate, wherein 45 to 75 percent ofthe calcium carbonate particles are less than 2 microns in diameter. Theground calcium carbonate may be, for example, extra course groundcalcium carbonate, wherein less than 45 percent of the calcium carbonateparticles are less than 2 microns in diameter.

In an aspect, the pigment may include calcium carbonate having a medianparticle diameter of 1 micron or more. In another aspect, the pigmentmay include calcium carbonate having a median particle diameter of 1.5micron or more. In yet another aspect, the pigment may include calciumcarbonate having a median particle diameter of 3 micron or more. Themedian particle diameter is the median particle diameter as measured bya sedimentation-based method, i.e. the SediGraph by Micromeritics.

The pigment may include kaolin clay. The kaolin clay may include a platyclay.

In an aspect, the platy clay may have an aspect ratio in excess of 40:1.In another aspect, the platy clay may have an aspect ratio in excess of50:1. In yet another aspect, the platy clay may have an aspect ratio inexcess of 70:1. In yet another aspect, the platy clay may have an aspectratio in excess of 90:1.

In an aspect, the platy clay may have a median particle diameter of 4microns or more. In another aspect, the platy clay may have a medianparticle diameter of 10 microns or more. In yet another aspect, theplaty clay may have a median particle diameter of 13 microns or more.

The pigment may include a pigment blend. The pigment blend may include,for example, a blend of calcium carbonate and a platy clay. The amountsof calcium carbonate and platy clay are not limited. In an example, thecalcium carbonate may be included in amount of between 10 percent byweight of the pigment blend and 85 percent by weight of the pigmentblend.

The amounts of water-soluble polymer binder and pigment in the basecoat120, basecoat 220, topcoat 230, or coating 340 are not limited. In anexample, a ratio of the water-soluble polymer binder to the pigment maybe less than 1:1 by weight. In another example, a ratio of thewater-soluble polymer binder to the pigment may be in a range of 1:2 to1:20 by weight. In yet another example, a ratio of the water-solublepolymer binder to the pigment may be in a range of 1:3 to 1:7 by weight.In yet another example, a ratio of the water-soluble polymer binder tothe pigment may be in a range of 1:4 to 1:5 by weight.

The basecoat 120, basecoat 220, topcoat 230, or coating 340 may includeadditives other than the water-soluble polymer binder and the pigment toimprove or enhance their performance.

In an aspect, the basecoat 120, basecoat 220, topcoat 230, or coating340 may include a crosslinker (also referred to as insolubilizer). Thecrosslinker causes the water-soluble polymer binder molecules to bondwith each other upon drying which gives the respective coatings greaterwater resistance.

In an example, the crosslinker may include a glyoxal-based crosslinker.In another example, the crosslinker may include a zirconium-basedcrosslinker. In yet another example, the crosslinker may include aglyoxal-based crosslinker and a zirconium-based crosslinker. The amountof the crosslinker is not limited. In an example, the crosslinker may beincluded in an amount of 1% to 20% by weight of the amount ofwater-soluble polymer binder. In another example, the crosslinker may beincluded in an amount of 1% to 10% by weight of the amount ofwater-soluble polymer binder. In another example, the crosslinker may beincluded in an amount of 4% to 8% by weight of the amount ofwater-soluble polymer binder. In yet another example, the crosslinkermay be included in an amount of 3% to 6% by weight of the amount ofwater-soluble polymer binder.

In another aspect, the basecoat 120, basecoat 220, topcoat 230, orcoating 340 may include a humectant (water loving material) thatfunctions as a plasticizer for the water-soluble polymer binder byretaining water in the dried coating.

In an example, the humectant may include a humectant in form ofglycerin. In another example, the humectant may include a humectant inform of sorbitol. In yet another example, the humectant may include ahumectant in form of glycerin and sorbitol. The amount of the humectantis not limited. In an example, the humectant may be included in anamount of 1% to 30% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymerbinder. In another example, the humectant may be included in an amountof 5% to 30% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymer binder. Inyet another example, the humectant may be included in an amount of 5% to15% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymer binder. In yetanother example, the humectant may be included in an amount of 15% to25% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymer binder. In yetanother example, the humectant may be included in an amount of 25% to30% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymer binder.

Experimental Examples

Experimental examples of the present description have found thatbasecoats and topcoats formed from water-soluble polymer binders andpigments surprisingly yield good smoothness and acceptable printingperformance without necessitating any latex binder, enabling for theproduction of smooth coated paper or paperboard structures that would becompostable and bio-based.

Materials

-   Hydrocarb 60 — a coarse ground calcium carbonate pigment supplied by    Omya-   Hydrocarb 90 — a fine ground calcium carbonate pigment supplied by    Omya-   XP6170 — A hyperplaty clay pigment with a shape factor of about 70    provided by Imerys-   Kaofine 90 — A fine kaolin clay pigment provided by Thiele-   Rhoplex P308 — A styrene-acrylic latex binder from Dow-   Ethylex 2015 — An ethylated starch binder provided by Tate & Lyle-   Sequarex 755 — a glyoxal-based crosslinker provided by Omnova-   Glycerin — a vegetable glycerin humectant from Amazon-   Sorbitol — a humectant from ADM

Coating Compositions

Basecoat compositions BC1 to BC11 were formulated with the weight ratiosof respective components, i.e. Hydrocarb 60, XP6170, Rhoplex P308,Ethylex 2015, Glycerin, Sorbitol, and Sequarez 755, as shown in Table 1below. The percent solids of the basecoat compositions were determinedby measuring the weight difference in the basecoat compositions beforeand after drying. Basecoat composition BC1 represents a conventionalbasecoat composition. Basecoat compositions BC2 to BC11 are experimentalbasecoat compositions of the present description.

Topcoat compositions TC1 to TC5 were formulated with the weight ratiosof respective components, i.e. Hydrocarb 90, Kaofine 90, Rhoplex P308,Ethylex 2015, Glycerin, Sorbitol, and Sequarez 755, as shown in Table 2below. The percent solids of the topcoat compositions were determined bymeasuring the weight difference in the topcoat compositions before andafter drying. Topcoat composition TC1 represents a conventional topcoatcomposition. Topcoat compositions TC2 to TC5 are experimental topcoatcompositions of the present description.

As shown in Table 1, there were two different pigment systems used forthe basecoat compositions. The first pigment system comprised a coarseground calcium carbonate, which is a typical basecoat pigment. Thesecond pigment system comprised blend of coarse ground calcium carbonateand hyperplaty clay. The reference basecoat composition BC1, consideredto be conventional, had coarse ground calcium carbonate with a latexbinder. All other basecoat compositions had water-soluble polymerbinders.

The coating compositions included coating compositions with and withoutcrosslinker, and with different levels of humectant. Crosslinkeraddition was limited by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations,and the addition level was based on the amount of water-soluble polymerbinder added, not the total coating. All coating compositions thatcontained a crosslinker had an addition level of 6% dry-on-dry based onthe amount of water-soluble polymer binder. There were two types of FDAapproved crosslinkers considered. In the experiments, a glyoxal-basedcrosslinker was used, and the maximum for this was 6% based on theamount of water-soluble polymer binder. There were many differenthumectants that could be chosen. In the experiments, it was decided tolimit selection to bio-based materials, in particular, glycerin (alsocalled glycerol) and sorbitol. The addition levels of humectants werebased on the amount of water-soluble polymer binder, not on the totalcoating. Humectant levels of 0, 10, 20 and 30 %, based on weight, of thewater-soluble polymer binder were tested.

TABLE 1 Basecoat BC1 BC2 BC3 BC4 BC5 BC6 BC7 BC8 BC9 BC10 BC11 Hydrocarb60 100 100 100 100 100 50 50 50 50 50 50 XP6170 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 50 50 5050 Rhoplex P308 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ethylex 2015 0 20 20 20 20 25 2525 25 25 25 Glycerin 0 0 2 4 6 0 2.5 5 7.5 0 5 Sorbitol 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 3.5 0 Sequarez 755 0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 0 PercentSolids 68 61.4 61.9 62.5 63.1 54.7 55.7 57.3 56.4 55.8 57.4

TABLE 2 TC1 TC2 TC3 TC4 TC5 Hydrocarb 90 75 75 75 75 75 Kaofine 90 25 2525 25 25 Rhoplex P308 12 0 0 0 0 Ethylex 2015 0 12 12 12 12 Glycerin 0 02.4 0 2.4 Sorbitol 0 0 0 2.4 0 Sequarez 755 0 0.72 0.72 0.72 0 PercentSolids 65 65 65 65 65

Application of and Testing of Coating Compositions

Coating compositions BC1 to BC11 and TC1 to TC5 were applied using pilotcoating equipment. All coatings were applied to a 12″-wide at 400 fpmusing a bent blade configuration. The substrate was a solid bleachedsulfate (SBS) paperboard with a basis weight of about 1501b/3000 ft² anda caliper of about 0.013”. Each basecoat composition BC1 to BC11 wasapplied at three different coat weights, as shown in Table 3. Extendedfootage was run for each formula and coat weight combination. Sampleswere taken from each of these conditions for testing, and the remainingfootage was used to produce topcoated prototypes. Basecoated sampleswere tested as-is without any additional processing. All testing wasperformed under TAPPI standard conditions. Print Surf roughnessmeasurements were conducted using 10 psi pressure with a soft backing(PPS10S). The results are displayed in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Composition Coat Weight PPS10S BC1 6.1 6.13 BC1 7.9 6.08 BC1 9.75.95 BC2 6.3 6.51 BC2 7.1 6.53 BC2 8.5 6.59 BC3 6.7 6.92 BC3 7.5 6.89BC3 8.7 6.78 BC4 6.6 6.61 BC4 7.4 6.65 BC4 8.5 6.60 BC5 6.3 6.62 BC5 7.66.28 BC5 8.7 6.30 BC6 7.4 5.90 BC6 8.9 5.62 BC6 9.7 5.54 BC7 7.1 5.64BC7 7.9 5.67 BC7 9.0 5.55 BC8 6.5 5.77 BC8 8.1 5.71 BC8 9.5 5.57 BC9 7.05.87 BC9 8.1 5.74 BC9 9.7 5.68 BC10 6.7 5.98 BC10 7.8 5.97 BC10 9.3 5.93BC11 6.6 5.54 BC11 8.0 5.61 BC11 9.2 5.58

Referring to Table 4, basecoats were covered one of the topcoatcompositions TC1 to TC5. For each basecoat/topcoat combination a rangeof topcoat weights were applied to create double coated prototypeshaving a range of basecoat/topcoat coat weights. The double coatedsamples were cut into sheets. These sheets were calendered using asingle-nip soft roll calender. The soft roll had a Shore D hardness of85. Sheets were calendered through one nip at 300 fpm, 225° F. and 150pli pressure. Only calendered topcoated samples were tested. Print Surfroughness measurements were conducted using 10 psi pressure with a softbacking (PPS10S). The results are displayed in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Composition TC BC Ct Weight TC Ct Weight Cal PPS10S BC1 TC1 7.95.4 2.32 BC1 TC1 7.9 6.4 2.17 BC1 TC1 7.9 8.6 2.16 BC2 TC3 8.5 5.2 2.44BC2 TC3 8.5 6.2 2.46 BC2 TC3 8.5 7.2 2.40 BC2 TC3 8.5 9.3 2.32 BC4 TC38.5 5.7 2.52 BC4 TC3 8.5 6.9 2.52 BC4 TC3 8.5 8.6 2.41 BC9 TC2 8.2 5.91.99 BC9 TC2 8.2 7.3 2.09 BC9 TC2 8.2 8.9 2.10 BC11 TC3 8.0 6.1 2.05BC11 TC3 8.0 7.2 2.17 BC11 TC3 8.0 8.8 2.21 BC10 TC4 7.8 5.2 2.20 BC10TC4 7.8 6.8 2.22 BC10 TC4 7.8 7.6 2.23 BC10 TC4 7.8 9.3 2.24 BC11 TC58.0 6.1 2.10 BC11 TC5 8.0 7.0 2.15 BC11 TC5 8.0 8.9 2.14 BC8 TC5 8.1 5.12.09 BC8 TC5 8.1 6.3 2.12 BC8 TC5 8.1 7.9 2.08 BC1 TC1 9.7 5.1 2.36 BC1TC1 9.7 6.3 2.09 BC1 TC1 9.7 9.4 2.02 BC6 TC2 10.2 5.3 1.86 BC6 TC2 10.27.0 1.94 BC6 TC2 10.2 8.1 2.00 BC9 TC2 9.7 5.4 1.97 BC9 TC2 9.7 6.2 1.97BC9 TC2 9.7 8.9 2.08 BC8 TC5 9.3 4.9 2.04 BC8 TC5 9.3 6.2 2.03 BC8 TC59.3 7.1 2.06 BC8 TC5 9.3 9.4 2.09

Analysis of Roughness Results

The present description includes, but is not limited to, the followingfindings.

FIG. 4 plots roughness (PPS10S) of basecoated-only control sample BC1vs. basecoated-only samples BC2 to BC5 over a range of basecoat weights.As demonstrated, if latex is simply replaced with water-soluble polymerbinder, regardless of the presence or level of glycerin, the roughnessincreases.

FIG. 5 plots roughness (PPS10S) of basecoated-only control sample BC1vs. basecoated-only samples BC6 to BC10 over a range of basecoatweights. As demonstrated, by using a pigmented system containing ahyperplaty clay, roughness of the water-soluble polymer binder samplesis reduced relative to the latex control sample BC1. These examplesrepresent two different humectants and a range of humectant levels.Thus, the blend of coarse ground calcium carbonate and hyperplaty claywas shown to have advantages over the all-carbonate pigment system.

FIG. 6 plots roughness (PPS10S) of basecoated-only control sample BC1vs. basecoated-only samples BC8 to BC11 over a range of basecoatweights. As demonstrated, the improvement in roughness when using theblend of coarse ground calcium carbonate and hyperplaty clay occurs botwith and without crosslinker.

FIG. 7 plots roughness (PPS10S) after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated control sample BC1/TC1 vs. basecoated and topcoated samplesBC2/TC3 and BC4/TC3 over a range of basecoat weights. These aretopcoated samples which all have all-carbonate basecoats. BC1/TC1 is thecombination of a typical latex basecoat with a typical latex topcoatwhich serves as a reference. BC2/TC3 and BC4/TC3 are combinations ofbasecoats of the present description with topcoats of the presentdescription. Samples with a basecoat weight closest to 7.91b wereselected for topcoating. The resulting coatings for BC2/TC3 and BC4/TC3have acceptable surface roughness which is comparable the reference.

FIG. 8 plots roughness (PPS10S) after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated control sample BC1/TC1 vs. basecoated and topcoated samples ofthe present description. These basecoated and topcoated samples of thepresent description coatings all use a 50/50 blend of coarse groundcalcium carbonate and hyperplaty clay in the basecoat. The level ofwater-soluble polymer binder was held constant. Only the humectantlevels were varied. Samples with a basecoat weight closest to 81b wereused for topcoating. These samples demonstrate a wide range ofcombinations of the basecoats and topcoats of the present descriptionthat give equal or slightly better roughness than the referencebasecoated and topcoated control sample BC1/TC1. Thus, by usinghyperplaty clay in the basecoat, it was possible to make double coatedsamples without latex that have equal or better roughness values thanthe latex control sample.

FIG. 9 plots roughness (PPS10S) after calendering of basecoated andtopcoated control sample BC1/TC1 vs. basecoated and topcoated samples ofthe present description. These basecoated and topcoated samples of thepresent description coatings all use a 50/50 blend of coarse groundcalcium carbonate and hyperplaty clay in the basecoat. Samples with abasecoat weight closest to 9.71b were used for topcoating. Compared tothe reference control sample BC1/TC1, the basecoated and topcoatedsamples of the present description have equal or better roughnessvalues, regardless of the presence or absence of crosslinker.

Evaluation of Printing Performance

One method to evaluate the printing performance of coated paper is tomeasure the ink receptivity also known as ink holdout. In this test, ared high viscosity oil was applied in excess to the sample surface andallowed to sit for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, the excess was thoroughlywiped away and the remaining stain was analyzed. The amount of inkremaining in the surface was measured as the decrease in brightness dueto ink staining. This was reported as the percent decrease inbrightness. The higher the number, the more ink was absorbed instead ofbeing held out on the surface. The ink stain results are shown in Table5. Tested samples included those that had both basecoat and topcoatweights of 8.51b. In some cases where a topcoat weight was notavailable, two samples with topcoat weights that bracket 8.5 were used.Table 5 shows that all of the samples with basecoat and topcoat of thepresent description, which include a water-soluble polymer binder and apigment, have significantly improved ink holdout compared to thereference control sample BC1/TC1.

TABLE 5 Basecoat Topcoat Basecoat Weight Topcoat Weight UninkedBrightness Inked Brightness Delta Brightness % Drop in Brightness BC1TC1 7.9 8.6 89.2 60.2 29 32.5 BC2 TC3 8.5 7.2 89.3 74.2 15.1 16.9 BC2TC3 8.5 9.3 88.9 75.9 13 14.6 BC5 TC3 8.7 7.4 89.1 73.6 15.5 17.4 BC5TC3 8.7 9.7 88.9 76.2 12.7 14.3 BC6 TC2 8.9 7.7 87.3 73.3 14 16.0 BC6TC2 8.9 9.5 87.2 75.3 11.9 13.6 BC9 TC2 8.2 8.9 87.7 75.1 12.6 14.4 BC8TC3 8.1 8.3 87.5 74.4 13.1 15.0 BC11 TC5 8.0 8.9 87.7 75.9 11.8 13.5

Although various embodiments of the disclosed coated paper and coatedpaperboard structures have been shown and described, modifications mayoccur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. Thepresent application includes such modifications and is limited only bythe scope of the Claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coated paper or paperboard structurecomprising: a paper or paperboard substrate; and a coating applied tothe paper or paperboard substrate to yield a coating outer surface, thecoating comprising: water-soluble polymer binder; and pigment, whereinthe coating is latex-free.
 2. The coated paper or paperboard structureof claim 1 wherein the water-soluble polymer binder consists of one ormore natural water-soluble polymers.
 3. The coated paper or paperboardstructure of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble polymer binder comprisesa plant-based protein.
 4. The coated paper or paperboard structure ofclaim 1 wherein the water-soluble polymer binder comprises acarbohydrate.
 5. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1wherein the water-soluble polymer binder comprises a polysaccharide. 6.The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1 wherein thewater-soluble polymer binder comprises a starch.
 7. The coated paper orpaperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the pigment comprises aninorganic pigment.
 8. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim1 wherein the pigment comprises calcium carbonate.
 9. The coated paperor paperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the pigment comprises kaolinclay.
 10. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1 whereinthe pigment comprises a pigment blend of calcium carbonate and a platyclay.
 11. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1 whereinthe coating further comprises a crosslinker.
 12. The coated paper orpaperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprises atleast one of a glyoxal-based crosslinker and a zirconium-basedcrosslinker.
 13. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1wherein the coating further comprises a humectant.
 14. The coated paperor paperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprisesa humectant in form of one or more of glycerin and sorbitol.
 15. Thecoated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the coatingfurther comprises a humectant in an amount of 1% to 30% by weight of theamount of water-soluble polymer binder.
 16. The coated paper orpaperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprises ahumectant in an amount of 5% to 30% by weight of the amount ofwater-soluble polymer binder.
 17. The coated paper or paperboardstructure of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprises a humectantin an amount of 5% to 15% by weight of the amount of water-solublepolymer binder.
 18. The coated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1wherein the coating further comprises a humectant in an amount of 15% to25% by weight of the amount of water-soluble polymer binder.
 19. Thecoated paper or paperboard structure of claim 1 wherein the coating isapplied to the paper or paperboard substrate at a coat weight, per side,in a range of 3 to 12 pounds per 3000 square feet of the paper orpaperboard substrate.
 20. The coated paper or paperboard structure ofclaim 1 wherein the coating applied to the paper or paperboard substratecomprises at least one of a basecoat and a topcoat.